Refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 18,1930, OLSEN 1,747,386

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 2, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f I Q 2 -1 A l H I amwmtoz Feb. 18, W30. 0. c. OLSEN 1,747,386

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed May 2, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb; 18, 3930 OLAE C. OLSEN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB F 'lWO-THIRIDS TO THE BORDEN COMPANY, OF WARREN, OHIO, A COORATION OF OHIO REFRIGERATING APP T'US Application filed May 2, 1927. Serial IEO. 188,094.

This inventien relates to improvements in refrigerating Systems and control apparatus therefor.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of means for reducing to a minimum the agitation of the liquid in afloat chamber in which is located a valve controlling float, so that the operation of the valve may be steadied.

nother object of the invention is the pro- Vision of afloat chamber for the valve controlling float which shall be outside of the regular path of movement of the fluid in the refrigerant circulating system, i. e., to borrow an expression from electrical terminology, a float chamber which is located in a shunt line, whereby. the agitation of the main line is not communicated tothe float chamber or is communicated thereto in a greatly reduced amount.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a float chamber with side walls con-v forming to the shape of the float in order to guide the same in its vertical movement and thereby steady its operation, and in theprovision further of float chamber walls which shall effectively guide the float while providing, nevertheless, for the free movement of fluid, particularly gas, around the float.

Other objects, and objects relating to details of construction and economies of manufacture, will appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a refrigerating system embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of-a control mechanism employed in carrying out the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of a sliding block employed in connection with the invention. I

In the drawings, a refrigerant compressing and circulating pump is illustrated at 10. The compressed gas leaves the pump at'the point 11, flowing through the condensing coil 12, in which the gas is condensed to a liquid, and then flows therefrom into a liquid receiver 13. Thence the liquid flows through I a conduit '14 to be discharged to various refrigerating units whose liquid intakes are controlled by suitable hand valves 15.

The casing 17 is connected with an evaporating coil 19.by two vertically spaced corinections 8 and 9, the connection 8 being preferably more or. less restricted so that the flow may e employed, two being'shown herein for purposes of illustration. In each case the liquid refrigerant enters under pressure from valve 15 through a pipe 16, passing through a valve chamber in the upperpart" of the casing 17 and an expansion valve in said chamber, later referred to herein, where the pressure is reduced and from which the liquid under-flowered pressure flows through pipe 'i8 to tlie lower end of the evaporating coil 19. Gas freed from the liquid by evapo.

ration in the coil 19 finds its exit at the upper end of the coil through a hand valve 20 out to a conduit 21, which is a common returnto the pump 10 for all the refrigerating units. For convenience in draining any of the refrigerating units, I provide a branchpipe' 22 connecting the lowest level of the coil 19 and the pipe 18 with the return conduit 21 a' normally closed hand valve 23 being included in the branch pipe 22. The valves 15 and no 20 for any one refrigerating unit being closed and the'v'alve 23 for that unit being opened, the pump '10 may be operated to draw ofi'practically all ofthe liquid in the unit, as will be obvious from inspection of Fig. 1.

' Referring now to the control apparatus in detail, as [shown in Fig. 2, the casing 17 is provided with a cover 25 which is secured in place by stud bolts 26, a gasket 27 being employed to assist in forming a'tight joint. On I the lower side of the cover is a plate 28 secured thereto by a plurality of stud bolts 29,

only one of which appears in the drawing.

The plate 28 has a cavity 30 in its upper face 5 registering with a cavity 31 in the lower side of the cover 25, these two cavities being separated by a diaphragm 32 which is held at its periphery between gaskets 33 and 34, the 7 plate 28 being formed with an annular rib or 1o projection 35 which cooperates with an annular shoulder on the cover 25 to firmly clamp thediaphragm in position when the bolts 29 are tightened.

Above the diaphragm and normally rest- 15 ing thereupon is a block 36 which is mounted to slide vertically in an opening 37 in the cover 25. The block 36' has a central pocket 36' in its upper face, in which is received J the head'38 of the valve 39. Shims may be 20 inserted in the pocket 36 beneath the head 38 to regulate the height of the valve 39, if desired. The block 36 is shown in detail in Fig. 3 where vertical grooves 40 are formed at intervals along the periphery of the block 2 to provide for the flow of liquid,

The cover25 has an internally threaded cup-shaped projection 41 in which is positioned a nut with a flange 43 adapted to press againstia gasket 44 when the nut is v screwed down tightly, The nut 45 has a central passage therethrough with a constriction 42 adapted to be closed by the conical endof valve 39.v The passage through I the nut is enlarged around the stem of the valve 39 to accommodate a coil spring 46 hearing at itslower end against the head 38 of the valve and tending to keep the valve off its seat in the constriction 42. In the upper end of the passage through the nut 45 there is a socket 47 having connection with pipe 16. The cavity 31 in the cover 25 is connected by means of'a drilled passage 48 with a connector 49 to which. the pipe 18 is attached.

The plate 28, above referred to, has a central opening in which is slidably mounted a pin 50 carrying on its upper end a convex disk 51 which bears on the lower side'of the diaphragm 32 directly below the block 36 so that motion may be transmitted from disk 51 to block 36 and vice versa through the intermediacy of diaphragm 32. The depending head '52 on pin 50 is recessed on one' side to receive a horlzontal pin v53 fixed in a lever 54, one end of which is pivoted at 55 to a bracket 56 which extends downwardly from the plate 28. The opposite end of lever 54 is connected by a'link 57 with a lever 58 pivoted at 59 to a depending lug 60 on the plate 28. The free end of' the lever 58 is q pivoted at'70 to a bracket 61 secured to a metal float 62. g r

- The float 62 is preferably spherical in shape and of a diameter to fit fairly closely within the cylindrical wall of the casing 17,

65 whereby the float is guided in its mov m n so that swinging of the float upon its pivot 70, due to the agitation of the liquid in the float chamber, is possible to a very limited degree only. Obviously, similar results could be obtained if the shape of the float and the chamber'were varied, so long as the extending notches or grooves. 63 in the inner walls of the casing 17, the inner surface of the casing between the grooves being uninterrupted, so as not to impair the guiding of the .float. The ,fioat chamber is designated by the numeral 65. I I The casing 17 has a socket 66 therein for the reception of connection 9 and a socket 67 for the reception of connection 8. If desired, the socket 67 may lead to a passage 68 in the bottom wall of the casing instead of directly into the float-chamber 6 In Fig. 1 of the drawings the flow of liquid refrigerant is indicated by full line arrows, while that of gaseous refrigerant is indicated by broken line arrows. The construction aims to keep each evaporating coil constant;-v -ly full'of liquid up to a predetermined level.

The connection 8 between the coil 19 and the float chamber 65 serves to maintain the same level of liquid in the coiland the chamber. When this level descends, owing to evaporation, the pin 50 is. drawn downwardly by the float 62 and the system of levers and links 58, 57, 54, permitting spring 46 to depress valve 39. Liquid refrlgerant then flows from the supply conduit 14 through pipe 16, socket 47 and constriction 42' down around the stem of valve 39, through grooves 40 and out through passage 48, connector 49 and pipe 18, whence it fiows to the bottom of evaporating coil 19, causing the level of liquid therein and in the float chamber to rise. The float 62 rises in response, and the system of levers 58, 57, 54 transmits this motion in a smaller degree to pin 50 which acts through disk 51, diaphragm 32 and block 36 to raise valve 39and close the constricted passage 42, which remains closed untilevaporation again proceeds far enough to lower the float when the cycle of operations is repeated.

I claim as my invention:

1. In control means for a refrigerating sysiao only slightly larger than the float, said chamher having vertical grooves in .its side Walls forming uid connections joining the space above the largest horizontal dimension of the float with the space therebelow.

2. In a refrigerating system, a refrigerating unit comprising an evaporating coil, a control casing, a float chamber in said control casing, a float therein, connections from said casing above and below the normal liquid level therein leading to said evaporating coil, the lower of said connections being of smaller bore than said coil, and means actuated by said float for controlling the flow of liquid to said evaporating coil, said means being sealed from fluid connection with said chamber.

3. In a refrigerating system, an evaporating coil, a casing, a pair of vertically spaced connections between said coil andlsaid casing, said casing having a float chamber and a valve chamber, a float in said float chamber, means for carrying liquid refrigerant to said coil through said valve chamber, a valve in said valve chamber constituting a portion of said means, and mechanism actuated by said float, when the liquid level in the casing is at a point between said connections, for opening or closing said valve, said chambers being sealed against the flow of fluid from one to the other. I

4. In a refrigerating system, an evaporating coil with a given normal liquid level, a control casing having a float chamber shunted around said level by connections with said evaporating coil near the exit end thereof, a float in said float chamber, a conduit for feeding liquid refrigerant to the intake end of said coil, a valve controlling said conduit and mechanism operated by said float for actuating said valve, said float chamber being sealed against fluid connection with said conduit.

5. In a refrigerating system, an-evaporating coil with a given normal liquid level, a control casing having a float chamber therein, connections between said chamber and said coil one above and the other below said liquid level, the lower of said connections tion with said conduit.

6. In a refrigerating system, an evaporatingcoil with a given normal liquid level, a

control casing having a float chamber therein, connections between said chamber and said coil one above and the other below said liquid level, the lower of said connections embodying means adapted to interfere with the transmission of liquid agitation from said coil to said chamber, a float in said float chamber, a conduit for feeding liquid refri erant to said coil, a valve controlling sald conduit, and mechanism operated by said float for opening and closing said valve, said float chamber being sealed against fluid connection with said conduit.

7. In a refrigerating system, an evaporating coil with a given normal liquid level, a control casing having, a float chamber therein, connections between said chamber and said coil one above and the other below said liquid level, the lower of said connections embodying means adapted to reduce to a minimum the transmission of gas therethrough from said coil to said chamber, a float in said float chamber, a conduit for feeding liquid refrigerant to said coil, a valve controlling said conduit, and mechanism operated by said float for opening and closing said valve, said float chamber being sealed against fluid connection with said conduit.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

OLAF C. OLSEN. 

